Auburn Hills recognized as 5-star community

The City of Auburn Hills has been recognized as a five-star community in a recent study performed by University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research, also known as iLabs.

The city and other communities were recognized in the eCities study for efforts to promote entrepreneurial growth and economic development.

The study analyzed 102 communities in 37 Michigan counties, which are home to 36 percent of the state’s residents and 40 percent of its college graduates.

The cities surveyed also counted for nearly one-third of entrepreneurs in the state — recording more than $3.2 billion in self-employed income — and had around $1.8 billion in commercial construction in 2012, which accounts for more than 48 percent of commercial property in the state.

The project helps to make the university an asset for local leaders when it comes to economic development said Tim Davis, iLabs director for UM-Dearborn, in a press release.